Visiting the USS Alabama Battleship & Blackbird Spy Plane!

During my trip to Mobile, Alabama, I made time specifically to visit the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park! I originally planned to just wander around casually, but was blown away by the coolness of the "Blackbird" spy plane—even someone like me, who’s used to seeing warships, couldn’t help but exclaim: this military-themed trip was totally worth it! First, a little thought on "visiting military attractions": Why are there so many Navy/Air Force spots, but so few Army ones? 🤔 Over the past few years, whether in the US or other places, most of the military attractions I’ve visited have been "big guys" like aircraft carriers, battleships, nuclear submarines, large planes, and rockets—basically the "stage" of the Navy and Air Force. Thinking carefully, there really aren’t many Army-related tourist sites. Off the top of my head, I’ve only been to West Point; other times, it’s hard to even catch a glimpse of Army-related attractions. Are Army sites just too low-key, or am I not looking in the right places? Any insiders want to weigh in?😬😬😬 1. SR-71 "Blackbird" Spy Plane: Big! Black! Cool! A "legend" that was never shot down in 50 years ✈️ As soon as I entered the park, I was drawn to the Blackbird spy plane on the tarmac—its all-black fuselage, smooth yet powerful lines, looked like a ready-to-strike "black raptor" from a distance, even more impressive than in photos!😬😬😬 After checking the introduction, I realized this spy plane is incredibly awesome: it once "roamed" the skies over China and Russia for 50 years, and was never shot down by enemy forces during its reconnaissance missions—truly a "legend in the spy plane world"! Its only accident occurred in 1989, when an engine explosion caused it to crash near Huangyan Island. From its first flight in 1962 to its official retirement in 1998, no one knows how much intelligence it gathered over those decades—just thinking about its "resume" feels hardcore! I walked around it several times, taking photos of the fuselage details and peeking into the cockpit. The more I looked, the more I admired its exquisite design—military fans will definitely be thrilled!😬😬😬 2. USS Alabama Battleship: Used to warships, so a bit of "aesthetic fatigue", but the cabin spaciousness surprised me 🚢 To be honest, after seeing so many battleships and aircraft carriers over the years, I initially felt a bit of "aesthetic fatigue" when I saw the USS Alabama—thinking it was just another ordinary steel warship. But when I wandered into the cabin interior, I was immediately proven wrong—😬😬😬 This battleship’s cabin is surprisingly spacious! It’s larger than any other warship I’ve seen before (whether destroyers or frigates), and even the crew’s beds are much wider than those on other ships. You can actually lie on them without feeling cramped. Anyone who knows old warships knows that crew beds are often as narrow as "matchboxes"—the USS Alabama’s setup must have been considered "luxurious treatment" back in the day. I really have to say, "impressive"!😬😬😬 While it wasn’t as "eye-opening" as the Blackbird spy plane overall, as a classic battleship from World War II, getting up close to feel its sense of history is still very meaningful～😬😬😬 #MobileAlabama #USSAlabama #SR71Blackbird #MilitaryTourism #AlabamaTravel